1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting a seat belt to a vehicle body and, more particularly, to an apparatus for mounting a seat belt to a vehicle body, which is intended to minimize the amount of interior space occupied and realize reductions in weight and cost.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a seat of a vehicle is equipped with a seat belt which restrains the upper body of an occupant sitting in the seat so as to protect the occupant, in the event of a collision or a rear-end collision.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first end of the seat belt 1 passes through a belt guide ring 2, is inserted through the upper end of a center pillar trim 3 into the center pillar trim 3, and then is wound around a pretensioner (not shown), while a second end is coupled to an apparatus 10 for mounting the seat belt to a vehicle body, which protrudes from the lower end of the center pillar trim 3 to the interior of the vehicle.
Further, a belt tongue 4 is provided on the seat belt 1 in such a way as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the seat belt 1. The belt tongue 4 is detachably coupled to a buckle 6 which is provided on a side of a seat 5.
Here, the apparatus 10 includes a mini tongue 11 into which the second end of the seat belt 1 is fitted, a wire 12 which is coupled at a first end thereof to the mini tongue 11, a wire installing unit 13 which is coupled to a second end of the wire 12 and is secured to a floor panel (not shown), and a cover member 14 which covers both the mini tongue 11 and the wire 12 to protect them.
However, the conventional apparatus 10 is problematic in that all components (the mini tongue, the wire, and the cover member) except for the wire installing unit 13 take up the interior space when installed, so that the appearance of the interior is poor. Further, the conventional apparatus 10 is problematic in that it is severely shaken by the inertia of a driving vehicle, so that it may collide with a vehicle body, thus causing noise. The apparatus 10 interferes with the feet of a passenger who is sitting in a rear seat, thus reducing the riding comfort for the passenger sitting in the rear seat. Especially, the apparatus 10 hinders the correct deployment of an airbag tube when a side airbag is deployed.
Further, the conventional apparatus 10 is problematic in that it includes the mini tongue 11 and the cover member 14, so that its volume and weight are large and a manufacturing cost is high.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.